According to a longtime biographer of Prince Philip, named Gyles Brandreth, the Queen's husband once joked about not wanting to reach the grand old age of 100, describing the prospect as 'ghastly'. Philip, who was also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, a title that's since passed on to his oldest son, Prince Charles, sadly passed away earlier this year aged 99.
In his new book about the man who was married to Her Majesty for 73 years, Philip: The Final Portrait, Brandreth writes that Philip made a witty remark that he had no desire to reach the same age as his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons. The Queen Mother was 101 years old when she died in 2002.
"I certainly don't want to hang on until I am a hundred like Queen Elizabeth [the Queen Mother]," Prince Philip told the writer. "I can't imagine anything worse. I'm already falling to pieces as it is. Bits keep dropping off. I have absolutely no desire to cling on to life unnecessarily. Ghastly prospect."
In his new book, the author also describes knowing the Prince for over forty years and says in the introduction that he was "more thoughtful and much kinder than the common caricature of him would suggest".
Recently, one of Prince Philip's grandchildren, Prince William, along with his wife, Kate Middleton, sweetly responded to a message of condolence from a well-wisher – and gave an insight into how Philip's passing has impacted on their lives.
The Cambridge's revealed how they were privately dealing with the loss together as a family, saying, "They will all miss their much loved grandfather and great-grandfather" but that messages of support have "provided great comfort at this difficult time."
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Inside the card, the couple also wrote: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thank you for your kind words following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh. Their Royal Highnesses have been incredibly moved by the many thoughtful messages they have received in recent weeks."
Shortly after Prince Philip's passing was made public, Kate and William posted a loving tribute to their late grandfather on Instagram too, with William writing: "I feel lucky to have not just had his example to guide me, but his enduring presence well into my own adult life – both through good times and the hardest days.
"I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her. I will never take for granted the special memories my children will always have of their great-grandpa coming to collect them in his carriage and seeing for themselves his infectious sense of adventure as well as his mischievous sense of humour!"
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
